I've seen a lot of different info on the Planescape slang, the problem is a lOT of it is contradictory, even in the same sourcebook!
The Planewalkers Guide for instance has two different definitions of Cutter. One says it's a complimentary term and another says it means murderor. Which is it? Another source I found says it's a insult meaning your going to cut someone down to size.
Also Bubber is one too. One page says it's a Bartender, another says it's a drunk.
I DON'T like conflicting information in a book I paid money for, even if its cheap.
So can someone clear this up?
Ok, here's the thing:
Planar Cant is based on English Thieve's Cant, which may or may not be a made-up 'dialect' that was supposedly used to hide messages so that police could not make sense of the real meaning and to signify some sort of relationship with the criminal class. As a result, some terms are somewhat contradictory, and often intentionally so, because in that milieu, compliments were often veiled insults. So, chances are, cutter DOES mean both meanings as described in the Planewalker's Guide, and at the same time. Same for bubber.
Likewise, bards were typically considered to be skilled if they could insult someone, and have the person insulted praise the bard for insulting them (because the person insulted thought it was words of praise). In the London that Cant came out of, the same was true, to an extent, and the practice was found to some degree in Shakespeare's work and the works of other playwrights of the time, as acting and playwriting were considered dishonorable professions, and would relegate many to the underclass, giving them experience with the criminal underworld.